Ghost
by nanashiX
Summary: 1st chapter a PREVIEW. A wrong decision in the past affects the future in ways no one could have imagined. He could have tried anything else but when he pushed me off the cliff, I never would have expected this outcome. What can I do now? I am no longer what you think I am. Damn you Ero-Sennin, when we see each other again I hope my mom kicks your ass. Set in Pein Arc.
1. The Preview

**AN: So I know that I have been wearing myself thin with all these ideas but this one was something that came to me completely out of the blue. I hope you all enjoy this preview and if I get enough response I will continue on. Though I may still continue on. I have high hopes for this idea. And without further ado…..**

**Xxx**

_**Ghost**_

**Xxx**

_So you want to hear my story? Is it really so interesting?_

"Sage techniques?" Naruto said as he rubbed his stomach. Shima's cooking was rough on the palate.

_But what makes a good story? Will you enjoy it?_

"It is the energy of the atmosphere and the earth that surrounds us." Naruto gave Fukasaku a blank look and Gamakichi had to simplify it once more. "Look explanations aren't getting us anywhere so why don't I show you an example." Naruto grinned and nodded. He learned by doing and watching. The blonde never was a theory based learner.

_Will my tale be believable? It might not seem that way at first…_

"_**CEASE WITH WHATEVER THE HELL YOU ARE DOING YOU INSOLENT FLESH BAG!"**_ Naruto stumbled and dropped to his knees as he heard the beast inside him roar in his mind. _**"GET THIS DISGUSTING SPIT OFF OF US THIS INSTANT!" **_

_It's strange. My life was supposedly planned out._

"Oh so the great Kyuubi has decided to talk then ne? So what's the problem? Why'd you scream at me? In fact I've never heard you talk to me being outside the seal." The Kyuubi took a deep breath that made it seem bigger before letting it out. The gust of hot air made Naruto fall on his backside and he gave the fox a glare.

"**You can't continue with your training."**

_But my tale is different than how it was supposed to be._

"**I'm not sure. The seal is the one controlling how my chakra is siphoned off into you, thus it controls your ki. You are welcome to try."** Naruto nodded before stopping. **"Problem."**

_If you wish to listen then I have no qualms with telling you._

"It's what Naruto-nii is saying," Gamakichi said between his laughter. "You don't get it? He says dead bodies can't take in natural energy. Well if that's true then Naruto's saying he's dead!"

_There is a world that we don't understand_

Naruto took a deep breath and clapped his hands together. He started to channel his chakra and simultaneously split the two energies. Two spinning rings of energy erupted around the boy, one a shining yellow and the other a striking green. The rings started to tilt vertically in opposite directions making the boy a standing atom.

_There are things that we can't see_

Naruto let out a roar of power as he slammed his fist into the ground. A shockwave of yellow energy pulsed forward towards the Asura Path who tried to jump out of the way. Above the android type shinobi appeared another white haired shinobi and the clone sent the Pein spiralling down towards the ki blast with a well aimed _Rasengan_.

_They may fear me_

"Control your output! Balance yourself!" Fukasaku yelled over the whistle of the wind. This wasn't the first time Naruto heard those words and he let loose another ki burst successfully turning his tumble into an elegant corkscrew. "Forward!"

_But I will not back down_

"Just what are you," Pein said to the floating boy in front of him. Naruto smirked and faded from existence. Pein quickly looked around, but could not see any presence of the Jinchuuriki until he felt an icy chill behind him,

"I'm your worst _fears!_"

_**xxxGhostxxx**_


	2. The New Beginning

**Hey all so here is the first chapter of **_**Ghost**_**. First story to start after the timeskip. I hope you all like it and, well, just enjoy!**

**Xxx**

**A New Beginning**

"Naruto" - Normal talking

_'Please' _\- Thinking

"**Hurry" - Demon talking; Demon influence talking**

"_Go" - Jutsu; Enunciated words_

"_**Help" Inner Demon talking**_

**Xxx**

_So you want to hear my story? Is it really so interesting?_

_But what makes a good story? Will you enjoy it?_

_Will my tale be believable? It might not seem that way at first…_

_It's strange. My life was supposedly planned out._

_But my tale is different than how it was supposed to be._

_If you wish to listen then I have no qualms with telling you._

"Sage techniques?" Naruto said as he rubbed his stomach. Shima's cooking was rough on the palate. After Naruto had eaten the bug stew he had been taken to an area in Mount Myouboku with statues of giant toads. The young blonde was in the realm of the toads to train after hearing of the untimely demise of his sensei, Jiraiya. He had been in a sort of funk after hearing of Jiraiya's death, not wanting to really talk to anyone. But after pulling himself together, Naruto was able to help Shikamaru and the glasses wearing Shiho figure out the Sannin's final message during his fight with Pein. After that he was reverse summoned to Mount Myouboku to learn like his late sensei.

"Ninja techniques use the energy within your body, chakra. However, senjutsu uses the energy surrounding us," Fukasaku explained. Naruto scratched his head.

"There is energy around us?"

"As you know chakra is used for ninjutsu. Chakra is created by mixing spiritual energy and physical energy." Naruto nodded. He had learned of this from that Ebisu pervert. "Senjutsu is used by mixing one's chakra with the natural energy from outside. This makes stronger chakra called senjutsu chakra."

"What's the difference?" Naruto asked. "Chakra is chakra right?"

"Actually with senjutsu chakra you can make your genjutsu stronger while also upping your physical abilities," Fukasaku explained.

"Uh huh…" Naruto replied. Fukasaku groaned. Why did all his pupils have to be so dense?

"It's like how you mix mint flavor to chocolate and vanilla swirl Naruto-nii," Gamakichi stated. Fukasaku face faulted. No way was the blonde going to understand that.

"Oh I get it!"

'_I stand corrected…'_ the old toad sage sighed in his head

"So what exactly is natural energy?" Naruto asked.

"It is the energy of the atmosphere and the earth that surrounds us." Naruto gave Fukasaku a blank look and Gamakichi had to simplify it once more. "Look explanations aren't getting us anywhere so why don't I show you an example." Naruto grinned and nodded. He learned by doing and watching. The blonde never was a theory based learner.

"Wow the natural energy is gathering so fast!" Gamakichi stated in awe. Naruto scratched his head in confusion. He didn't see anything. Fukasaku moved from his still position and lifted the giant statue in front of him making Naruto gape in shock.

"W-what the hell? You can lift that!"

"This is what ya can do with senjutsu boya," Fukasaku grinned.

"But I didn't see anything."

"Of course not. You aren't attuned to natural energy yet. But you will be soon." Fukasaku threw the stone away and huffed. 'Not as young as I used to be…'

"So how do I get this natural energy?" Gamakichi knelt down to Naruto's eye level.

"You have to die…" Naruto blinked slowly and opened his mouth in shock.

"D-die?! Why do I have to die to become one with nature?" the blonde ninja shouted. Why in the world did he come to train if he was supposed to die? Fukasaku sighed and rubbed his head.

"You don't really die Naruto, Gamakichi why'd you even say die? Listen Naruto," Naruto nodded and paid rapt attention. "If you just listen to me everything will be fine. Now in order to take in natural energy you must be able to feel the energy and draw it in. Once you become one with it you can control where energy enters and exits the body. So a great example of this would be not to move. When you stop your flow as an animal and harmonize with nature then you'll feel natural energy."

Naruto scratched his head and let out a chuckle. "Is that it? Man that sounds easy." Gamakichi shook his head in exasperation.

"You don't get it aniki. The hardest thing for animals to do is to not move. This relates to humans. We get restless." Naruto sighed and nodded his head.

"I've learned a lot lately. I'm sure I can figure this out."

Fukasaku chuckled to himself. _'Well at least the boy has confidence.' _ The old toad motioned for Naruto to follow and the blonde complied. They stopped at a waterfall that spouted a strange yellow liquid into a small pool. Naruto bent down and stared into the pool of viscous liquid and watched as his face rippled. "Now to achieve the skill to be one with natural energy one must train for months and for some years." Naruto blanched.

"We don't have much time," Naruto said. "There's got to be an easier way."

Fukasaku nodded, "there is but it is dangerous." The toad sage pointed to the pond of yellow liquid. "This toad oil special to Mount Myouboku is made to help pull in natural energy." Fukasaku reached into the oil and held it up to the blonde boy. "If we coat you in this it will be easier for you to absorb the natural energy."

"Awesome! So this will speed up my training?" Fukasaku nodded and Naruto grinned. "Alright then let's do this."

"Gimmee your hand boya," Naruto bent down and held his hand out to Fukasaku who rubbed the oil he had on Naruto's skin. "You should start to feel it already." Fukasaku was expecting many things at this point. Excitement, awe, maybe even shock. But what Fukasaku wasn't expecting was for the boy to cry out in alarm and a bit of pain.

"Ouch! What the hell? It feels like my hand is turning numb," Naruto grumbled as he rubbed the oil off with his jacket. Fukasaku stared blankly at Naruto before mumbling.

"Maybe we did something wrong. Would you like to try again?" Naruto nodded, and held his arm out once more but with a bit apprehension.

"What is this?" Fukasaku whispered. Naruto watched in confusion as the old toad rubbed the frog oil onto his arm once more. The blonde didn't know what was supposed to happen but at the moment all he could feel was his arm going numb.

"Oi grandpa toad what's going on?" Naruto wiped his arm off again to try and get the numbing oil off his skin. "Is that the feeling of natural energy? Cause if it is it kinda stings." Fukasaku shook his head. This never happened before. Even the toughest cases of sage training never showed these results. The worst was when someone didn't feel a thing.

"Ah wait! Maybe you are like some of the other, harder cases Naru-boya," Fukasaku stated as he snapped his web hands. 'That must be it. Maybe he needs a lot of the oil. The fact that he is a Jinchuuriki might also be a factor.'

"What ya talking 'bout old timer," Naruto mumbled before receiving a smack on the head.

"Darn kids," Fukasaku muttered before gathering a heavy amount of oil in his hands. "Anyways, in some cases we have had senjutsu learners who needed much more oil. This could be because their original chakra reserves are really high, like yours, or they just aren't attuned to nature very well. So what we did was use more oil and that helped them. But…" it was here that the toad trailed off and gazed at the toad statues.

"But?"

"Well ya see the only people who have ever completed the sage training were Jiraiya and another man. Both are dead unfortunately. If you fail this training you can turn into a toad and in worst cases become so one with nature that you become a toad statue like your predecessors." Naruto gaped and slowly turned around taking in the numerous statues.

"T-These were all people?" Fukasaku and Gamakichi nodded. "What the hell! This training is freaking dangerous!"

"Correct, but Jiraiya-boya believed in you and so do Ma and I. Remember this, only people with guts can become sages!" Naruto blinked at that proclamation before grinning.

"Alright gramps lay it on me." Naruto shed his clothes except for his boxers and held his arms open. "Let's go!" Fukasaku grinned and started to smear oil onto Naruto's skin. While this was happening Naruto was gritting his teeth in pain. The numbness was spreading and the stinging sensation was escalating. "I-it's starting to hurt more Pa," Naruto groaned.

"Just a little more," Fukasaku slathered some more oil on Naruto's shoulders as he closed his eyes. Gamakichi watched from a distance with a frown.

'_I've never seen senjutsu training but even I know this doesn't seem right,'_ Gamkichi thought. Naruto bit his lip as the numbing sensation started to become unbearable.

"_**CEASE WITH WHATEVER THE HELL YOU ARE DOING YOU INSOLENT FLESH BAG!"**_ Naruto stumbled and dropped to his knees as he heard the beast inside him roar in his mind. _**"GET THIS DISGUSTING SPIT OFF OF US THIS INSTANT!" **_Naruto was too shocked to form a coherent reply so all he could do was look to Gamakichi and utter out one word.

"Water." Gamakichi immediately understood,

"_Suiton: Teppoudama (Water Style: Gunshot)!_" The toad spit out a weakened version of the jutsu and soaked Naruto effectively washing off the oil. Naruto gasped as the feeling of numbness slowly left.

"Did you guys hear that?" Naruto wheezed. Fukasaku hopped over to the boy and looked at him worriedly.

"Hear what my boy?" Whatever was happening wasn't according to plan. In fact this had never happened in all of the years the old toad had been teaching senjutsu. What was happening to Naruto? Why wasn't nature energy reacting normally to him?

"No. No of course you didn't hear that," whispered the blonde as he held his head.

"Naruto what happened? It seemed like it was working?" Naruto shook his head and sat up while shaking his hair from the water that was sprayed on him.

"The oil was making my body burn and sting. Is it supposed to do that?" Fukasaku shook his head. "Well I guess whatever was happening, fuzzy didn't like it." Naruto received a confused look from both toads. "Oh I mean the Kyuubi didn't like it."

"The Kyuubi? Is it the reason that the oil isn't working?" Fukasaku asked. Naruto shrugged and plopped down on the ground. Why were things always so difficult for him? "Strange we may need to have a talk with your beast." Naruto nodded before he tilted his head in confusion.

"Wait what do you mean we? Normally to talk to the Kyuubi I have to meditate to get into the seal to talk to the fox," Naruto explained. Fukasaku nodded.

"I understand. I mean go figure out what is wrong and tell me." Naruto gave a quick nod before closing his eyes and controlling his breathing. After a few moments Naruto ceased to hear the sound of the waterfall of oil. The sound of dripping water hit the boy's ears and Naruto opened his blue orbs. He found himself sitting in a puddle of water in a large and dark cavern of a room. In front of him was a giant cage that easily dwarfed the boy and high above in the middle of it was a simple seal tag. Naruto pushed himself up and stared into the dark abyss that was behind the gate.

"Oi Kyuubi…" An eye as big as Naruto opened slowly showing a slit pupil and a glowing crimson iris in response to the boy. "We need to talk"

"**Go away."** Was Naruto's received reply.

"Nu uh, you have some explaining to do. What the hell was that back there?" Kyuubi opened both eyes and stalked forward from the darkness. In front of the blonde shinobi stood the giant form of the Kyuubi no Youko its malevolent eyes glaring down at the boy.

"**Go. Away."**

"Why did you yell at me? I'm trying to train ya furball." Naruto ignored.

"**Ignorant monkey, don't you dare insult me!"** the Kyuubi roared. Naruto grinned. He knew if he offended the great Kyuubi it would snap. Naruto walked forward and surveyed the giant cage. Nothing seemed that different, however the Kyuubi looked to be more antsy than normal.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting weird, considering you are a giant, fuzzy fox." The Kyuubi growled lowly, but didn't reply. Naruto continued. "Is it because of my sage training?"

"**I have nothing more to say to you."** Naruto huffed and rubbed his head. The Kyuubi was never a very welcoming presence. In fact if he could, Naruto never really wanted to talk to the bijuu. But all things considered, the Kyuubi was inside him and Jiraiya had tried to teach the blonde how to draw out the Kyuubi's chakra. So he had met with the Kyuubi many times. Each meeting was never good. But right now the fox was being especially short.

"If you don't want to talk then fine, I'm out of here fuzzy. I need to learn how to draw in natural energy without you screaming at me." Naruto turned and started to walk but stopped when he heard the fox's gruff voice.

"**Wait…"**

"Oh so the great Kyuubi has decided to talk then ne? So what's the problem? Why'd you scream at me? In fact I've never heard you talk to me being outside the seal." The Kyuubi took a deep breath that made it seem bigger before letting it out. The gust of hot air made Naruto fall on his backside and he gave the fox a glare.

"**You can't continue with your training."**

"And why is that?" Kyuubi seemed to mull over its words.

"**Whatever you are doing you need to stop. You can't take in natural energy."** Naruto gave the Kyuubi a confused look as he pushed himself up. He had no idea that the bijuu even knew what natural energy was.

"How do you know about natural energy?" The kitsune bristled at the question.

"**I have lived far longer than you think human. I have seen things that you couldn't imagine. My presence has been has been compared to a natural disaster. You have no idea the knowledge I have and to be questioned by a human that is barely considered an adult in your standards is insulting!" **the blonde ninja blinked rapidly after Kyuubi's tirade. Now that Naruto thought about it, he had never really learned much about the being inside him. Perhaps there were some things he needed to think about.

Naruto stroked his chin contemplating the fox's words. "So you're saying you know what I am trying to do then." The Kyuubi nodded. "Then quit trying to interrupt me."

"**Fool! You don't even understand what you are trying to do. You've never changed, always doing things blindly. You've never thought of the consequences!"** Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but the Kyuubi continued. **"Even now you don't have the foggiest idea of what you are trying to accomplish!"**

"I know what I'm trying to do! I'm trying to learn Senjutsu! And if you keep trying to mess with my training then I'm going to find a way to seal you off for good!" the Kyuubi roared in anger and dropped on its haunches. It curled its lips and snarled at the boy.

"**You are trying my patience human! Leave now! I have nothing more to say to you except cease with your attempts at gathering natural energy. You have nothing to gain!"** Kyuubi stood up and started to turn leaving a stunned Naruto. Naruto shook his stupor away and shouted at the retreating beast.

"HEY GET BACK HERE YOU FLEA BITTEN DOG!" Kyuubi paused before turning its head. "I'm not finished talking to you!"

"**I AM NOT A DOG!"** the giant kitsune spun quickly and smashed its claws against the cage rattling the whole room. Naruto merely stared up in defiance. **"Don't you dare liken me to those mutts! I am the Kyuubi no Youko, strongest of the bijuu! I create hurricanes with a flick of my tails! I can cause earthquakes by merely stomping! You are nothing!"**

"I'm nothing?! You're nothing! Look at the mighty Kyuubi stuck in a cage!" Naruto yelled back.

"**I am like this because of you filthy humans! All of you are scum!"**

"Better than being a self-righteous fleabag!"

"**Ignorant monkey!"** Naruto and the Kyuubi glared heatedly at one another. Neither backed down from their stare. **"I will say this again, LEAVE!"**

"Not until you quit messing with me trying to collect NATURAL ENERGY!" Naruto shouted while shaking his fist. The Kyuubi opened its mouth and belted out an angry reply.

"**DEAD PEOPLE CAN'T GATHER NATURAL ENERGY!" **Naruto paused in his rebuttal and looked at the Kyuubi in shock. Similarly the giant fox seemed taken aback at what it just said.

"What do you mean?" Naruto whispered. The Kyuubi looked down at Naruto and huffed. "Kyuubi. What-do-you-mean?" the blonde accentuated each word with a step closer to the cage so that he was close enough to walk through the giant bars. The Kyuubi dropped down once more, close enough that Naruto could feel the demon fox's hot breath.

"**I could kill you right now."** Naruto stared heatedly up into the giant eye that was peering down at him. Oh yes he knew that the Kyuubi's claw could reach out through the bars and get him. However, its words kept the boy from moving.

"How can you kill something that, according to you, is already dead?" Naruto said slowly. Again the Kyuubi was silent. Naruto frowned. "Tch why should I even believe you? You've been nothing but a burden to me, only saving me to save your own skin. For all I know this natural energy could be giving you a migraine and you're just being a pain in my ass." Naruto spun around once more not seeing the widening then narrowing eyes of the fox.

"**How dare you, you ungrateful speck of dirt!"** Naruto was thrown off his feet at the Kyuubi's shout. Sliding along the wet ground, he looked up in mixture of shock and fear as the giant fox flared its chakra. The glow from it lit up the room and it glared down at the blonde, its tales lashing back and forth. **"I've done more for you than any of the other pathetic monkeys have! Who has kept you from dying due to your ingestion of only that disgusting filth you call ramen? ME! Who has made sure you never suffered from sickness? ME! Who made sure that you always healed? ME!"** Naruto watched in awe as the chakra surrounding the Kyuubi coalesced around the fox making the blonde have to squint at its brightness. To his amazement it seemed like it was shrinking and taking on a more human, but still oppressive, form. Was its voice getting higher?

"K-kyuubi?"

"**And who made sure that the Shinigami didn't take you after you DIED?!" **the brightness around the bijuu slowly died down and in a bright flash Naruto was left with a sight that left his mouth hanging. Instead of the giant nine tailed fox that the blonde had grown accustomed to stood Naruto's own _Orioke no jutsu_. However, there were some key differences. Instead of blonde hair like his, hers was a deep red held up in twin pigtails. Her eyes were blood red like the Kyuubi's chakra accompanied with slit like pupils. Finally, her whisker marks were much more accentuated unlike the thin lines on his face. However, that's where all the differences to his jutsu ended. She still had the smooth and flawless skin that glowed with a slight tan. Her proportions were perfect, Naruto should know since he made the image to be the perfect girl, and unfortunately for the blonde boy there was another glaring fact. The girl was nude.

So here he was, Uzumaki Naruto, the self-proclaimed Hokage, staring at what may be the strongest thing in existence in his time. And it was a very nude and very hot looking girl his age instead of a giant fox. Naruto was a strange combination of scared witless and somewhat aroused making him both pale and blushing at the same time. **"IT-WAS-ME!"** the fox turned girl screamed out releasing another shockwave. The boy stumbled up and pointed shakily at the girl.

"What the hell happened?" the Kyuubi looked down and paused before growling lowly. Her growl escalated into an ear splitting shriek that made Naruto cover his ears.

"**See, this is my price for helping a disgusting human like you!"** the Kyuubi looked down at its body, now her body, before glaring heatedly at the young blonde. **"You have no idea what I've given up to help you. I have been with you since your birth. I have seen what you have been through. I know how you truly feel! And yet you are the same as all the others! Merely using me for my power!"** Naruto gulped at the girl in front of him and walked forward. He was wary but extremely confused. This was definitely not what he was expecting when he went into his seal. Taking a deep breath, Naruto said his next words as politely as possible.

"Kyuubi, what's going on?" the demon fox stared at the boy before looking down.

"**It seems it would be difficult to hide the truth now that this form has slipped out."** Naruto nodded in agreement. **"Make yourself comfortable human this will be a chore to explain."** Naruto sat down on the water soaked ground with a grimace and looked at the naked girl in front of him. The Kyuubi noticed his expression and scowled. **"If you have a problem with your surroundings then change them."**

"I can change this place?" Naruto gave the giant sewer like area a look over. "How do I do that?"

"**Your mind is yours to control. Fix it if you wish." **The blonde struck a thinking pose before closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. The sewer shifted as if in a mirage and the Kyuubi watched in interest as the image settled on what looked like the comfortable bedroom. The walls were made of a bright wood and Naruto was now sitting on a plush, maroon carpet instead of the wet ground. Behind Naruto was a large oak door that led outside his seal. There was fireplace that was split between the cage that held the Kyuubi. Instead of never ending darkness that was behind the cage now sat a round and comfortable looking bed. The once fox blinked in surprise as Naruto let out a sharp breath.

"That was harder than I thought," Naruto said as he rubbed his head. The Kyuubi gave Naruto a confused look and motioned to the bed behind it. "Ah well I figure that since you kind of look like, well that," Naruto pointed at the girl in front of him, "that maybe sleeping in a bed would be better than the ground. We humans enjoy it and, well, you do look like one." The Kyuubi gave Naruto a strange look before walking to the bed and poking it. After a moment it sat slowly on it and leaned back.

"**You didn't have to do that."** Naruto shrugged and looked down. The Kyuubi tilted its head in confusion before it understood. **"Are you embarrassed over my looks?"**

"You're a naked girl. And you look like my jutsu which I admit is extremely effective looking," Naruto said trying to hold in a blush.

"**Girl? Hmm I suppose that in this form I would be considered what you humans call a female. So yes I am a girl by your standards."** Naruto nodded as he heard a shift of fabric and looked up to see the Kyuubi covered by the sheet of the bed to hide her modesty. **"So I suppose I should start then?"**

"Yeah… look I'm sorry about everything back there. I know we've never really gotten along, but still..." The girl in front of him waved the boy off.

"**Whatever. I've heard worse. Now on to the big topic,"** Kyuubi leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees and Naruto had to keep his eyes up lest he look down the girl's impressive cleavage. **"You must stop with your attempts at trying to take in natural energy. You are only hurting yourself."**

"But why? Why can't I absorb natural energy like grandpa toad says I can?" Kyuubi steepled her fingers on her chin and sighed. This next part would be difficult to explain.

"**You aren't truly alive."**

"You said that I was dead. What do you mean?"

"**You died a long time ago. But it is thanks to me that you are still in the plane of the living."** Naruto gazed deeply into the crimson orbs of the girl in front of him. He tried to find any hint of a lie, but he couldn't.

"I don't understand. Was it when I was fighting Sasuke? When he shoved that Chidori through me?" Naruto received a negative. "Well then what are you getting at? How can I be dead?" the Kyuubi started to see the frustration building in the blonde boy.

"**Will you listen to me without interruption?"** Naruto nodded. This was information he needed to know. Kyuubi took a deep breath before talking.** "You are not essentially alive anymore. The event that led to your death happened; hmm you're 16 now, four years ago."**

_xxxFlashbackxxx_

_Naruto looked at Jiraiya with narrowed eyes making his face resemble a fox's. Today was definitely weird for the boy. Instead of the training the old pervert had made the boy go out and have some ramen. Hell the old man even paid for his meal and for some odd reason asked Ayame-chan to give him a hug. That was weird. The strangest thing was when Jiraiya asked if he wanted to kiss a girl. Naruto immediately thought of Sakura, but thought better of it. No use getting his head punched for listening to Ero-Sennin._

"_Naruto," Jiraiya started. "We've been training hard and I can see that you are putting in a lot of effort." Naruto beamed at the man as the two of them walked into the trees surrounding one of the training fields they used. "But unfortunately you aren't progressing fast enough." Naruto frowned and shouted in indignation. Unbeknownst to the two ninja, the two were being observed by none other than the Kyuubi no Youko. Ever since Naruto had accessed its chakra in Nami the Kyuubi was given a small bit of amusement in being able to access some of Naruto's senses. It wasn't a lot but the fox was able to at least have a small feeling of what the boy it was sealed in felt, saw, or heard._

"_Oi what do you mean! I'm trying my best here to summon a stupid frog!" the Kyuubi huffed at the boy's nasally voice. What skill the child had was merely stunted growth by the other humans. He could have been better._

"_They're toads you moron! And that's the thing! You can't pull out as much chakra as you can to summon anything bigger than tadpoles. We need you to get a power boost." Jiraiya stopped suddenly and Naruto frowned as he almost bumped into the man. "Naruto we need you to summon Kyuubi's chakra." Now that piqued the fox's interest. So the human boy was going to come by and actively take chakra. This would be the first time meeting the ningen in person. Oh, it was time to make a good impression. "And for that you need to be in peril."_

"_What?" Naruto didn't have much time to figure out a response as Jiraiya pushed Naruto into the bushes beside them. Naruto gaped in shock before his shock turned to horror as he looked down. Gone was the hard dirt path and instead an endless abyss lie under him. As gravity started to do its job Naruto could only utter one more phrase as he fell. "FUCK YOU ERO-SENNINNNNNnnnn…"_

_Inside Naruto the Kyuubi could only gawk at the sheer stupidity of humans. As it watched Naruto flail about the bijuu couldn't help but become increasingly worried. It was while Naruto tried to save himself using his favorite jutsu that things turned to chaos._

_Naruto growled in frustration as his hand slipped off one of the slippery spikes of the ravine he was falling in once again. Not even with chakra could he stick! "Fine then I'll just summon some clones! With that I can use them as stairs to climb to the top!" the blonde grinned at his idea and placed his hands in a seal as he tumbled backwards._

"_Kage bunshin no- urk!" Whatever the boy would have said died on his lips. As Naruto gathered the necessary amount of chakra he failed to notice his surroundings and the extremely sharp spike behind him. Before he could execute his technique, the spike impaled the poor boy in the back of his head. It was at that instant that Uzumaki Naruto died. With his brain pierced Naruto slid off the stone spine with a 'squelch' and fell once more._

"_**NOOO!"**__ the Kyuubi screamed out in mixture of rage, fear, and shock. The fox could heal the blonde through many things. In fact it would take much to kill the boy. But a stab to the brain isn't something that is fixable. The fox immediately felt the rush of energy leaving Naruto's body and instantly understood what happened. A dead body doesn't need physical energy anymore. No, not when it couldn't use it any longer. That's what happened when you died. The physical energy in one's body is released into the world while the spiritual energy remains to be taken by the Shinigami. And the Kyuubi knew that thanks to the seal that the blasted Yondaime made it would be taken too!_

"_**I will not die… I will not cease to exist!"**__ the Kyuubi roared as it pushed as much of its chakra through the seal to try and jump start the boy's body. __**"You will live boy so that I will live!" **__The bijuu continued to pour out its chakra spreading it through Naruto in hopes that he would wake. Unfortunately for the fox it did not notice as the seal on its cage start to tremble. __**"Live, live, LIVE!"**__ with a mighty roar the kitsune threw out as much chakra as it could through the seal. After that it watched in shock as its body started to lose form. The fox like body started to dissipate and what was left was a fine mist of crimson chakra that still sported Kyuubi's eyes. The miasma looked in shock and felt insurmountably tired. __**"My body… what?"**_

_It was then that the former fox watched in wonder as the chakra it pushed through the seal amazingly shift and replace the physical energy that Naruto had lost. The Kyuubi felt Naruto's body pulse and the wound on his head heal slowly. His spiritual energy seemed to be almost wary of the new physical energy before mixing and chakra rushed through the blonde's body. The Kyuubi wearily tried to form its body but to its chagrin it could not. In its stupor it pulled the boy's perverted jutsu to mind, seeing as how that was almost like an alternate persona, and reshaped its body in her likeness. With its job done the girl looked in wonder as its chakra swirled in the cavern but once reaching the dark hall across from the cage change. _

"_**This is strange,"**__ the girl whispered before lying back. The Kyuubi needed rest. Outside the seal Naruto's eyes shot open and he blurred through the seals for the Kuchiyose. In the blonde's mind he had just met the Kyuubi. In the blonde's mind he had just ordered the fox to pay him rent and that influx of chakra the Kyuubi sent was what he believed as 'rent'. In the blonde's mind he didn't just die._

_xxxFlashback Endxxx_

"**And that's what happened. Because of all the power I used I was forced to take on this form. The fox that you saw was a transformation so that I could keep looking like my old self. Unfortunately, thanks to my anger my transformation became unstable and I went back to my true form, which is this"** The Kyuubi finished as she pointed at herself. Naruto sat in front of the bijuu with his mouth slack. He was really dead. Ero-sennin's stupid attempt to get him to summon had killed him. Or was he really dead? He had aged normally and he was still able to be with his friends. If he was dead then why wasn't he, well, dead?

"How am I dead, but still here? That doesn't make any sense. From what you've said it seems like your chakra was able to bring me back to life. So doesn't that mean I'm still alive?" the Kyuubi shook her head.

"**No because you lack physical energy, or what I like to refer as ki. What your body thinks is your ki is actually just my chakra changed into it."** Naruto looked confused and rubbed his head. That didn't make any sense. Chakra was made of spiritual and physical energy.

"How could your chakra turn into physical energy, or ki? Isn't it made up of two things?" the Kyuubi nodded.

"**You are correct however there is something you don't necessarily know. I am only half of what I should be."**

"Say wha?"

"**When your damned Yondaime sealed me he didn't seal all of me in you. He sealed my Yang half of chakra in you and the Yin is in him who is essentially in the Shinigami's stomach."** Naruto blanched at that last part. How could someone's soul be in the stomach of the Death God? That was frightening.

"What's that gotta do with your chakra becoming ki?" Naruto asked adopting the Kyuubi's phrase for physical energy. It sounded cooler than saying physical energy over and over.

"**You remember when you were learning to use wind chakra correct?"** Naruto gave a yes in response. **"Do you remember when you asked about different types of jutsu, like your kage bunshin or medical ninjutsu and genjutsu? Some techniques fall under more of a Yang release or a Yin release."**

"Meaning?"

"**Meaning that some techniques are actually more **_**Inton (Yin release) **_**or **_**Youton (Yang release)**_**. Chakra is more mysterious than you could even imagine, human. Techniques that are of the Yin release require Yin chakra. Yin chakra is chakra that is more spiritual energy than ki. That goes opposite for Yang."** Naruto was silent as he took this all in. During the Kyuubi's explanation he had created a cushioned chair for himself seeing as how the floor was getting uncomfortable. Everything the Kyuubi was telling him just seemed so shocking.

"So essentially you are telling me that because you are made of Yang chakra I was able to get ki from you?"

"**Correct."**

"But how? How did the ki from your chakra become separated and then put into me?" The Kyuubi pointed at the seal on the cage separating them. "The seal?"

"**I believe that the seal started to become overwhelmed with how much chakra I was pushing out and transformed it into an energy that you actually needed in your body. Your ki comes from me. Thanks to this seal you are essentially in equilibrium of your body having half ki and half spiritual energy." **Naruto gazed up at the seal and frowned.

"If I'm dead how am I still able to be hurt? Wait… am I a zombie?" Naruto's face turned slightly green and the Kyuubi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I mean that makes sense right? I still have a body even though I'm dead!"

"**You aren't a zombie. The reason you can be hurt is because the ki in your body is making you essentially human. You have a human body and therefore it can be hurt." **Naruto calmed down slightly and nodded.

"So what would happen if I pushed the ki back to you?" the Kyuubi shrugged. "Can we do it right now?

"**I'm not sure. The seal is the one controlling how my chakra is siphoned off into you, thus it controls your ki. You are welcome to try."** Naruto nodded before stopping. **"Problem."**

"Why did you not just tell me to take off the seal?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes. They just had a pretty civil conversation, but Naruto didn't forget that this used to be the giant demon fox that wanted nothing more than to eat him. Or was that merely an act that the fox had made? "What happened to the demon fox that wanted out?" the Kyuubi smirked making Naruto blush. Maybe he shouldn't have made his technique so sexy.

"**That was mostly your paranoia and me being very annoyed at the fact that I spent almost all my energy and lost my original form. I can no longer escape this prison of mine due to what I did. My essence is essentially your essence. Even if you take off the seal I won't be able to escape."** Naruto blinked and nodded. Standing up from his chair Naruto looked up at the seal. Taking a deep breathe he focused on the chakra inside him. Any other time this would be a normal occurrence for him, but this time he was digging deeper. Naruto strained himself and focused into the chakra. Holding his hand up Naruto tried pulling out the ki that was made from Kyuubi's chakra. Amazingly it was easy to find. In his chakra there were two energies. There was a pale green one that was almost white that he figured was his spiritual energy and there was a yellow almost golden energy that must have been ki. To Naruto the two energies were as different as day and night. His spiritual energy was calm and flowing. His ki, or substitute ki, was powerful and fast.

The two occupants in Naruto's seal watched as the oak doors opened and a golden line of energy crept forward and into the Kyuubi who looked shocked. Naruto grit his teeth. This was more difficult than he had thought. As Naruto continued to separate his ki and spiritual energy there were some changes to him outside. Outside the seal Fukasaku watched in morbid fascination as the Naruto's skin started to get paler. His hair also seemed to turn a lighter shade of blonde, almost white, and a pale green energy started to come off the boy.

"Naruto! Hey Naru-boya!" Fukasaku screamed in shock and worry. What was happening to the blonde? In Naruto's seal he and Kyuubi heard the toad sage's shout echo through the room. Naruto dropped his hand and both he and Kyuubi were shocked to see the ki that he had separated start to return from where it came.

"Hold on I'll be right back." Naruto said to Kyuubi before opening his eyes outside the seal. "What's wrong gramps?" Fukasaku breathed a sigh of relief as Naruto started to turn back to normal. Whatever was happening seemed to be reversing itself.

"Something strange was happening to your body just now. One second you went to meditate and another you started to change," Fukasaku said. Naruto blinked in confusion. Just a second passed? Wow he felt like he was talking to the Kyuubi for hours.

"_**Time passes differently in your mind then outside it." **_Naruto yelped before looking around much to the confusion of the two toads.

"Something wrong my boy?"

"Ah n-nah I forgot that the Kyuubi can talk to me in my head," Naruto said. "Anyways what was going on to my body? You said something strange was happening?" Fukasaku nodded while frowning and Naruto scowled. What had happened? Naruto decided to test something and put his hands together. "Oi Kyuubi I'm separating the ki again." Gamakichi and Fukasaku looked at each other in worry before looking back to Naruto.

"You're talking to the Kyuubi Naruto-nii?" Naruto nodded but kept his focus. He'd answer their questions after. To the shock of everyone Naruto's skin once more slowly became paler and his hair lost its color. Wisps of pale green energy seemed to waft gently off the boy. But now with Naruto's eyes open the toads were able to see the biggest change to the boy was his eyes. Naruto's sclera turned a pale green like the energy coming off him and his irises turned a striking shade of emerald. Naruto looked down at his pale hands in shock and the tiny wisps of energy that came off him randomly. Turning his head, the toads watched as an opaque line of green seemed to follow his eyes for a moment whenever he turned his head.

"W-what is this?" Fukasaku whispered as Naruto rushed to the oil pond and looked at his reflection. If at all possible Naruto turned even paler as he looked at the toads. The Kyuubi was right. He wasn't a zombie, no he was something much worse in his opinion.

"_**It seems like you can only push back about as much ki as to make you 90% spiritual energy and 10% ki. Guess I can't really call you human anymore."**_ Naruto barely heard the Kyuubi as it spoke in his mind. All he could do was look back at his reflection then back to the toads. A cold sweat started to form at the back of his neck. He was dead and not a zombie. No he was…

"A ghost."

**Xxx**

**So here is the first chapter of the new story, **_**Ghost**_**. I hope you all like it and please read and review. This idea came from nowhere and I've been trying to backlog chapters. Hopefully I can write perhaps a chapter every 2 weeks, but I'm wearing myself a bit thin. But I love writing so I can't help it. Have fun reading and let me know how I can improve.**


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